My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
THE HOLY NATIVITY OF OUR LORD AND GOD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST (Part III)
The Heavenly Star of Bethlehem
According to the Orthodox Christian Holy Tradition, the Star of Bethlehem is not interpreted as an astronomical event, but rather as a supernatural occurrence, whereby an Angel was sent by God to lead and guide the Magi to the Christ Child. This is revealed in the Apolytikion (Dismissal) hymn of the Holy Nativity.
Apolytikion Hymn: (Forth Tone)
Your Birth, O Christ Our God, dawned the Light of knowledge upon the earth. For by Your Birth those who adored stars (i.e., Magi) were taught by a star to worship You, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know You, Orient from on High. O Lord, Glory to You.
In holy icons, the Star of Bethlehem is often depicted not as golden, but as a dark aureola, a semicircle at the top of the icon, indicating the Uncreated Light of Divine Grace, with a ray pointing to "the place where the young Child lay" (Saint Matthew 2:9). Sometimes the faint image of an Angel is drawn inside the aureola.
Numerous attempts have been made by scholars to give some kind of a scientific explanation for the Star of Bethlehem. Indeed, there is substantial historic and scientific evidence of an unusual celestial event at the approximate time of the Birth of Christ, yet even this would not explain the behavior of the Star as described by the Holy Scripture. Of course, there is a more mystical approach.
The Holy Fathers of the Church tell us that this Star can be compared to the miraculous pillar of fire, which stood in the camp by night during Israel's exodus, or the Light from Heaven, which overwhelmed Saul (Saint Paul) on his way to Damascus. Saint John Chrysostom in his homily on the Second Chapter of Saint Matthew, says God called the Wise Men by the things that are familiar to them, for being astrologers they were naturally astonished at such a great Star. He says that God, for the salvation of those in error, allowed Himself to be served by astrologers, normally used to serve the devil, so that He might gently draw the Magi away from their customs and lead them toward a higher wisdom.
Saint Maximus the Confessor says that when the intellect is illumined by the Infinite Light of God it becomes insensible to everything made by Him, just as the eye becomes insensitive to the stars when the sun rises. The Magi did not just drop off their gifts and leave, for they left from the presence of Christ as men forever changed by their experience. Their superior intellect and knowledge was confounded by the presence of a little Child under the humblest circumstances.
In keeping this great Feast of the Holy Nativity of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we must receive this Divine Light with joy, not putting it away at the end of the season, but rather "let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in heaven" (Saint Matthew 5:16).
The Prophecy of the Star
The Star Prophecy from the Old Testament (Numbers 24:17) was used by radical and revolutionary Jews from 70 B.C., to stir and comfort with the foretelling of the "Star of Jacob," which was interpreted by some theologians as the coming of a Messiah: "I see Him, but now";/ "I behold Him, but not near"; A Star / "shall come out of Jacob"; / "A Scepter shall rise out of Israel", / "And batter the brow of Moab", / "And destroy all the sons of tumult".
The Star of Bethlehem has been seen by many Christians as a miraculous symbol of the Birth of Jesus Christ. Saint John Chrysostom viewed the Star as one of many miracles occurring at the Birth of the Savior, when he said:
"How then, tell me, did the Star point out a spot so confined, just the space of a manger and shed, unless it left that height and came down, and stood over the very head of the young Child? And at this the Evangelist was hinting when he said, 'Lo, the Star went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was".
The Gifts: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh
The following is an excerpt from the winter Pascha by Father Thomas Hopko, of blessed memory!
The adoration of Jesus by the Wise Men from the East is a part of the Nativity celebration in the Orthodox Church. Whatever the actual historical circumstances of the event--and Orthodox Tradition takes them quite literally--the spiritual and theological significance of the coming of the kings with their gifts is of paramount importance.
The gifts of the Magi (Magoi) are of a particular significance. They are interpreted symbolically in the liturgy of the feast. The gift of gold is taken as the sign that Jesus is the King of Israel, of the entire universe, and of the Kingdom of God to come. This a crucial part of the Christmas story in the gospels. It caused Herod to kill all the "male children in Bethlehem and in all who were two years old or under according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men" (Saint Matthew 2:16).
The gift of frankincense is taken on by the liturgy to signify the fact that Jesus is God, since incense is for worship, and only God may be worshipped.
And the gift of myrrh is for the Lord Jesus Who has come to die as the perfect sacrifice for the people. For the dead were anointed with myrrh, as Jesus Himself was anointed, according to the Holy Scripture, at the time of His death (Saint John 19:39-40).
In the gifts of the Magi, therefore, are contained all the mysteries of Christ's coming. They point to the purpose of His appearance on earth. He is the Royal King, the Son of David, Whose Kingdom will have no end. He is the victim, the Lamb of God, Who by His death takes away the sins of the world. And He is God Himself, the Divine Son of the Father: "Light of Light, True God of True God, not made; of one essence with the Father, by Whom all things were made; Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven…" as the Nicene Creed declares.
The contemplation of the Wise Men and their gifts is an integral and lasting part of the Church's celebration of the Lord's Winter Pascha. (Source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America)
Please explain the symbolism of the Star of Bethlehem and the gifts of the Magi to your children.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia,
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George